Garage door springs are designed to hold the weight of your 150 to 350-pound garage door so that the opener can raise and lower the door with ease. Unfortunately, things can go wrong, and the spring may break, rendering your garage door completely useless. You’ll know a broken spring is the reason you can’t open or close the garage door if you heard a loud bang coming from your garage at some point, and you can see a hanging or snapped spring.
Why do garage door springs break? There are several reasons springs fail, and when you understand these different reasons, you’ll know how to prevent them and if you need to call for same-day garage door service.
YOUR SPRING BROKE BECAUSE OF WEAR AND TEAR
More likely than not, your garage door spring broke because it simply wore out. These springs are designed to last for only 10,000 cycles — with one cycle being an opening and closing of the door. While this may sound like a lot, you need to consider the fact that you’re likely not the only one using the garage door and that you don’t open it simply to get your car out. When you take into account all the times that you use your garage door in a single day, every moment quickly adds up, and all that stress wears out the spring. If you use your garage door like a front door, you may want to consider extended lifespan torsion springs, which allow for 20,000 – 40,000 cycles.
YOUR SPRING BROKE BECAUSE OF RUST
Another common reason garage door springs break is rust. As soon as rust develops on the spring, a greater amount of friction is placed on the coils. And as the coils weaken, spring failure is imminent. You can help prevent rust and keep the spring well-lubricated by spraying it with a silicone-based lubricant several times a year.
YOUR SPRING BROKE BECAUSE OF POOR MAINTENANCE
As only one part of your garage door system, it’s easy to forget about the spring. Unfortunately, neglect can cause the spring to wear out more quickly. To prevent a garage door spring from breaking due to improper maintenance, make sure you lubricate this mechanism several times a year and check the garage door’s balance. Even better, you can hire a garage door company to perform the maintenance for you, so you don’t have to worry about the spring failing. The pros will be able to detect minor problems before they become costly repairs.
YOUR SPRING BROKE BECAUSE OF POOR INSTALLATION OR DEFECTS
Occasionally, you can trace your garage door spring’s failure back to the installation. Some companies do not operate with their customers’ best interests in mind; they are simply trying to get as many jobs done as possible. This can lead to the wrong-sized spring being installed on your door. An incorrect calibration will put excessive strain on the spring. While your garage door may open and close just fine at first, problems will arise, and your spring will break under the heavy load.
In rare instances, the spring came from the manufacturer already defective. For example, an extension spring may have a loose ring at the end that eventually gives out. Or a torsion spring may be incorrectly galvanized and rust easily. In either case, there was nothing you could do to prevent the spring failure, but the qualified technicians at Iconic Garage Door Services can quickly replace the spring.
WE’LL HELP YOU SPRING INTO ACTION!
No matter why your garage door spring broke, it’s a major inconvenience to lose access to your garage. Fortunately, Iconic Garage Door Services is just one phone call away! We can perform garage door spring repairs in Phoenix, AZ, and the surrounding areas on the same day you call us. When you hire our professionals, you can rest assured that you’ll receive high-quality service and products. We can even perform tune-ups on your garage door system to ensure it keeps rolling for years to come. Contact us today to learn more about our spring maintenance and repair services.
